Menu and price calculator

ABSTRACT

A menu and price calculator having a frame assembly with an upper display surface providing a first section and an adjacent second section. The first section locates and supports a superposed plurality of menu tickets and the adjacent second section locates and supports a plurality of price strips. Each price strip indicates a unit price for an item on the menu ticket and multiples of that unit price, all in alignment with the menu item on the menu ticket which is supported on the first section. An elongate price guide is movably mounted on the frame assembly to traverse the plurality of price strips for visually aligning the price strips sequentially with their associated menu items and for correlating single and multiple prices on the price strips with the associated menu items. The price strips are each removably supported on and secured to the second section so that when the price of a menu item changes, the price strip may readily and rapidly be removed and another price strip substituted therefor.

A United States Patent [191 Gilomen MENU AND PRICE CALCULATOR [75] Inventor: Jerry L. Gilomen, Chicago, Ill.

[73] Assignee: Restaurant Technology, Inc., Oak

Brook, 111.,

[22] Filed: Sept. 16, 1974 [21] Appl. No: 506,422

[52] US. Cl 235/89 R; 40/10; 116/135 [51] Int. Cl. G06C 3/00 ,[58] Field of Search 40/10; 116/135; 235/61 B,

[111 3,918,635 1 Nov. 11, 1975 Primary Examiner-Lawrence R. Franklin Attorney, Agent, or FirmDressler, Goldsmith, Clement & Gordon, Ltd.

[ ABSTRACT A menu and price calculatorhaving a frame assembly with an upper display surface providing a first section and an adjacent second section. The first section 10- cates and supports a superposed plurality of menu tickets and the adjacent second section locates and supports a plurality of price strips. Each price strip indicates a unit price for an item on the menu ticket and multiples of that unit price, all in alignment with the menu item on the menu ticket which is supported on the first section. An elongate price guide is movably mounted on the frame assembly to traverse the plurality of price strips for visually aligning the price strips sequentially with their associated menu items and for correlating single and multiple prices on -the price strips with the associated menu items. The price strips are each removably supported on and secured to the second section so that when the price of a menu item changes, the price strip may readily and rapidly be removed and another price strip substituted therefor.

15 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures U.S.Patent Nov. 11,1975 SheetlofZ 3,918,635

mm m W U.S. Patent Nov. 11,1975 Sheet20f2 3,918,635

MENU AND PRICE CALCULATOR This application relates to a menu and price calculator, and especially to one which eliminates the necessity for preprinting menu tickets with prices and multiples of prices, while retaining the advantages of preprinting.

Heretofore, preprinted menu tickets with single and -multiple prices printed thereon for each of a plurality of menu items have commonly been used in restaurants, such as in fast food restaurants. Menu tickets with prices on them make it possible rapidly to calculate the price of multiples of menu items ordered, thereby to minimize errors in calculation.

Recently it has been necessary to change the prices of menu items much more frequently than was the case in the past. At the same time, the cost of paper and the cost of printing has risen dramatically, making it inordinately expensive to use preprinted menu tickets with prices thereon.

In accordance with this invention, an improved menu and price calculator is provided which eliminates the necessity for menu tickets with preprinted prices for menu items and preprinted-multiples of prices for menu items, all without losing the advantages and desirable features of preprinted prices on menu tickets.

A menu and price calculator of this invention cornprises a frame assembly having an upper display surface providing a first section and an adjacent second section. The first section serves to locate and support a plurality of menu tickets and the adjacent second section serves to locate and support a plurality of price strips. Each price strip indicates a unit price for an item on the menu ticket and multiples of that unit price, all in alignment with the menu item on the menu ticket which is supported on the first section. A price guide is movably mounted on the frame assembly and is adapted to traverse the plurality of price strips for visually aligning the price strips sequentially with their associated menu items. The price strips are each removably supported on and secured to the second section so that when the price of a menu item changes, the price strip may readily and rapidly be removed and another price strip substituted therefor.

Most desirably, the first and second sections each define recesses, the first section for receiving a plurality of superposed menu tickets and the second section for receiving the plurality of price strips. In each case, the portions of the sections defining the recesses serve to restrict movement of the menu tickets and price strips with respect to each other, thereby to fix the positions of the menu ticket, and of the menu items they bear, with respect to the associated price strips.

The price guide is elongate and provides indicating means for correlating a price strip with an associated menu item,. thereby to facilitate pricing of the menu item. Additional indicating means on the price guide serve to correlate multiple prices on the price strip with multiples of the menu item ordered, thereby most effectively to facilitate pricing of multiples of the menu items.

The menu and price calculator of this invention is inexpensive to make and is easy to use. Its parts may readily be molded from plastic material and, as has been pointed out, it minimizes the waste of paper and printing costs for menu and price tickets in these days of rapidly changing prices.

These and other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings of which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a menu and price calculator of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a price strip used with the menu and price calculator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a plurality of price strips of FIG. 2 separable along perforated lines;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the menu and price calculator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 illustrates a protective cover used with the menu and price calculator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the price guide illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 88 of FIG. 1;

and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 99 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the embodiment of this invention which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 9, a menu and price calculator l of this invention comprises a frame assembly or holder 2 which may be formed integrally, or by molding, of a suitable plastic material, such as polystyrene, polyethylene or the like.

The periphery of holder 2 is circumscribed by a top edge 3, a bottom edge 4 and side edges 5 and 6. The holder further provides an upper display surface 7 which serves to provide laterally adjacent first and second locating and support sections for menu tickets and price strips, respectively. These sections, in the embodiment illustrated, comprise a first menu ticket tray section 12 and a second price strip tray section 14. Additionally, holder 2 provides a pair of price guide rails, which, in the embodiment illustrated, comprise slots 16 defined by holder 2. Slots 16 are parallel to each other and serve to movably mount and slidably guide a price guide 18 via cooperating guide means or fingers 20. Each of the guide fingers 20 terminates at its lower end in a projection 22 which underlies surfaces of holder 2 to resist accidental displacement of the price guide 18 and to hold the guide fingers 20 in the associated slots Menu ticket tray section 12 is generally rectangular in shape and defines a recess of a depth adequate to receive a plurality of superposed menu tickets 24. A plurality of such menu tickets typically may be a gummed pad of approximately tickets. The recess 26 is circumscribed by a plurality of recess wall segments which snugly receive the menu tickets, thereby to restrict movement of the menu tickets relative to the holder 2. As such, tray section 12 serves to support and to locate, in predetermined manner, a plurality of menu tickets 24. When desired, individual tickets 24, or a plurality of tickets 24, may be removed, via a finger notch 28 which is provided at the base of menu ticket tray section 12. 1

The menu tickets 24 are imprinted to make them suitable to the particular use intended for the menu and price calculator 1 of this invention. In the embodiment illustrated, the menu tickets have three columns. As illustrated in FIG. 4, these comprise a left-hand column for the number of the menu item or items selected, a central column listing a plurality of menu items and a right-hand column for the extended prices to be entered. The lower end of the right-hand amount column (not shown) provides space for the insertion of the total price, any tax necessary and any other total amount desired. The menu tickets are not preprinted either with prices or with multiples of prices because, as will become apparent, that is unnecessary when this invention is practiced.

Price strip tray section 14 is configured and proportioned to receive, support and locate a plurality of elongate price strips 40 and to position those price strips in alignment with menu items listed on the menu tickets. Additionally, a column or list of menu items preprinted so that they may be in horizontal alignment with the menu items on the menu tickets is also supported by the price strip tray section 14. This item list 42 may be more or less permanent and need not be changed except when the menu tickets themselves are changed. That is a relatively infrequent occurrence. Item list 42 is positioned on a support shelf 44 (see FIGS. 5 and 8) and may be relatively permanently affixed thereto, as by a pressure sensitive adhesive layer on the back of item list 42.

Each of the removable and replaceable price strips 40 is supported and located in a recess in tray section 14. Preferably the recess comprises a plurality of troughs, one for each price strip 40. Each trough comprises a pair of horizontal walls 46 which snugly receive the price strips and which serve to keep the price strips from moving toward and away from the walls 46. To keep the price strips from moving from side to side, i.e., in the direction of their lengths, the ends of each of the price strips are seated in an undercut 48 as best illustrated by FIG. 5. In this manner the price strips 40 are located in predetermined positions and are restrained from movement relative to the menu items on the menu tickets,

As best seen in FIG. 4, the price strips 40 lie between a menu item identified on the item list 42 and that same menu item as identified and imprinted on the horizontally adjacent portion of the menu ticket 24. In the embodiment illustrated, each price strip 40 bears a single item price and multiples of that price, such as multiples from one item to the cost of nine such items. In FIG. 4, as an example, the unit price of X-Large Fries has been shown to be 42 cents. An order of five such items bears an extended price of $2.10 which has been entered on the menu ticket. That is easily and rapidly derived from the associated price strip 40 with the price guide 18.

To facilitate pricing of items and multiples of those items, an elongate price guide 18 is used. Price guide 18 is preferably formed, as by molding, of a clear plastic material. It is provided with several indicating meansfFirst, price guide 18 mounts an arrow or like indicator 50 for correlating a price strip with a menu item. Indicator 50 is provided at the right-hand side of the price guide 18 clearly to point to the menu item on the menu ticket which is under consideration and for which pricing is desired, thereby visually to align a menu item with a related price strip. Thus, in the case of the menu item referred to above and shown in FIG. 4, the indicator 50 is first aligned to point directly at that item on the menu ticket. Price guide 18 also provides a clear portion 52 through which one may look to read single and multiple prices for the selected menu item. Further indicators 54 are provided on the guide 18 in vertical alignment with the prices on the price strip. As such, one is able to look directly beneath the number indicator 54 to find the proper multiple price. In this manner, the price guide serves to correlate multiples on the price strip with multiples ordered of items on the menu ticket, thereby to facilitate pricing of mu]- tiples of the menu items. As each item is priced, both the number of the item is written in on the left-hand side of the menu ticket and the extended amount of the number of items is written in on the right-hand side of the menu ticket and the process is repeated by slidably moving the price guide via slots 16 and fingers 20 on the holder to traverse the price strips, sequentially moving the price guide into alignment with each laterally or horizontally aligned pair of price strips and menu items of the menu items to be priced until the pricing of a customers order is completed. Each of the items selected, in whatever multiple, is entered on the menu ticket both by number of items and the extended amount of the number of items, following which the menu ticket may be totalized in usual fashion, and then removed, readying the calculator for the next customers order.

One of the major advantages of the menu and price calculator of this invention is its extreme flexibility during periods of time when prices change and fluctuate rapidly. Heretofore, when using preprinted menu tickets, prices have usually been printed on those tickets. When prices changed, it was necessary either to throw away those tickets, to overprint the tickets (which is prohibitively expensive) or to make mental adjustments for the changed prices. With the relatively inexperienced help that is used in restaurants, such as fast food restaurants, it is not desirable to depend upon mental adjustments. Therefore, it is usually the case that menu and price tickets with changed prices are thrown away. With paper becoming increasingly expensive and with printing costs increasing, it is becoming prohibitively expensive to throw away tens of thousands and millions of preprinted price tickets.

In accordance with this invention, the only changes necessary as prices change are the changing of individual price strips in a manner which will now be described.

As has been pointed out, each of the price strips is supported in a trough-like recess between walls 46 in the price strip tray section 14. To set up the tray initially, appropriate price strips 40 are separated along lines of perforation from master groups P of preprinted price strips. Preprinted price strips of all anticipated prices and multiples thereof are prepared and are made available to the user of the menu and price calculator 1. The user then selects the appropriate price strips 40 and inserts them into the proper recesses adjacent the corresponding menu items. Each price strip 40 is seated with its ends in the undercuts 48 and between walls 46, thereby to keep it in its proper position in the price strip tray section 14 and to prevent its movement relative to the price strip tray. Each of the menu items for which pricing is necessary is thusly provided with a horizontally adjacent price strip.

After all of the strips are positioned, and the item list 42 is seated on shelf 44, a clear protective cover is then positioned protectively to overlie the price strips 40 and item list 42. Cover 60 is retained in its covering position by a plurality of tabs 62 which are received in and held in tab notches 64 (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

When the 1 cover 60 has been so positioned, price guide 18 is secured to the holder by pushing fingers 20 downwardly through slots 16 until the fingers spring outwardly slightly to cause projections 22 to move into the positions illustrated in FIG. 5, thereby to retain the price guide in slots 16 for slidingmovement and to resist accidental displacement of the ,price guide.

When a price change is to be made, the price guide 'is removed by reaching underneath the holder and by springing the fingers 20 inwardly sufficiently to disengage the projections from the position as illustrated in FIG. 5 so that they may be pulled upwardly through the slots 16. After the price guide has been removed, the clear protective cover is removed as by reaching into finger notches 66 either with ones fingers, or with a pencil or the like, and by lifting it until the tabs 62 disengage from tab notches 64. Thereafter, the price strip 40 to be changed is lifted from its trough. That is facilitated by providing a plurality of push-up holes 68 which may, for convenience, lie in two staggered columns in the base of the tray section 14 between the walls 46. The push-up holes 68 are large enough so that a pencil tip or the like may be inserted therethrough to bear against the bottom of price strips 40 to elevate central portions of the price strips 40 above the walls 46, thereby to facilitate their grasping by ones fingers. A price strip to be changed is then removed, and another price strip having newly appropriate price and multiple prices is substituted. After the new price strip has been inserted, as in the manner described previously, the

clear protective cover is repositioned, the price guide is repositioned, and the menu and price calculator is once again ready for use with the same menu tickets previously used.

The item list 42 changes only when the menu tickets change, a relatively infrequent occurrence. Most desirably, the item list 42 is a printed unitary strip which has a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing for permanent affixation to the support shelf 44 on which it is seated. When a change is made in the array of the menu items, a substitute item list may be superimposed, or if only one or two menu items are to be changed, separate item listings provided with pressure-sensitive backing may be positioned to overlie the preceding item listing.

Although only a presently preferred embodiment of this invention has been described and illustrated, it will be clear from the foregoing specification and drawings that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Accordingly, the invention disclosed herein is intended to be limited only as may be required by the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A menu and price calculator comprising a frame assembly having a top edge, a bottom edge and two side edges and an upper display surface, said upper display surface providing a first section for locating and supporting menu tickets and a second section adjacent to said first section for locating and supporting a plurality of price strips, a plurality of said menu tickets on said first section, each having a plurality of menu items listed thereon, a plurality of said price strips on said second section, each said price strip being in alignment with a said menu item on said menu tickets, each of said price strips indicating a unit price and multiples of said unit price in line with one of said menu items on said menu tickets, a price guide, and means for movably mounting said price guide on said frame assembly to traverse said plurality of price strips for visually aligning sequentially the price strips with the associated menu items.

2. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 1 in which said mounting means comprise price guide rails on said frame assembly and guide means on said price guide slidably mounted on said guide rails.

3. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 2 in which said price guide rails comprise a pair of spaced slots extending toward said top edge and said bottom edge, and said guide means comprises projections on said price guide which extend into said slots, whereby said price guide may be slidably moved toward and away from said top edge.

4. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 1 in which said price strips are each removably supported on and secured to said second section whereby the price of a said menu item may readily and rapidly be changed independently of any change of the menu tickets.

5. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 4 in which said second section defines openings below said price strips for permitting the upward pushing of price strips from below said frame assembly.

6. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 4 in which said second section defines a recess comprising a plurality of troughs, each for locating a said price strip and for preventing its movement relative to said menu items on said menu ticket.

7. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 1 in which said first section defines a recess for receiving a plurality of superposed menu tickets and for restricting movement of said menu tickets relative to said price strips thereby to fix the positions of the menu tickets and of the menu items listed thereon with respect to said price strips.

8. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 7 in which said price strips are each removably supported on said second section whereby the price of a said menu item may readily and rapidly be changed independently of any change of the menu tickets.

9. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 1 in which said price guide is elongate, and further comprising indicating means on said price guide for correlating a said price strip and a said menu item to facilitate pricing of said menu item.

10. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 9 in which said price guide provides further indicating means for correlating multiples on the price strip with multiples ordered of the menu item on the menu ticket, thereby to facilitate pricing of multiples of said menu items.

11. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 1 in which said first section is adjacent one side edge and said second section is adjacent the other side edge and said sections are laterally adjacent, and in which said price strips are elongate and extend toward said side edges.

12. A menu and price calculator comprising a frame assembly having an upper display surface, said display surface comprising a first section for locating and supporting a plurality of menu tickets and a second laterally adjacent section for locating and supporting a plurality of price strips, a plurality of menu tickets, each having a plurality of identical menu items thereon, and a plurality of price strips, one being in alignment with each of said menu items on said menu tickets, each of said price strips being elongate and indicating a unit price and multiples of said unit price in lateral align ment with a said menu item on said menu tickets, on elongate price guide mounted to be aligned with said price strips lengthwise of said price strips, means for slidably mounting said price guide on said frame assembly to traverse said price strips and to move said price guide into alignment with each said price strip and for visually aligning each said price strip with it's laterally aligned menu item, and indicating means on said price guide for correlating a price strip with a menu item and for correlating multiples on the price strip with multiples ordered of the menu item on the menu ticket thereby to facilitate pricing of multiples of said menu items, said mounting means comprising price guide rails on said frame assembly and guide means on said price guide slidably mounted on said rails.

13. menu and price calculator in accordance with,

claim 12 in which said price strips are each rcmovably supported on and secured to said second section whereby theip rice ofa said'menu item may readily and rapidly be changed,independently of any change on the rmenu tickets, and removal-means defined by said frame assembly for facilitatingremovalof said price strips. 

1. A menu and price calculator comprising a frame assembly having a top edge, a bottom edge and two side edges and an upper display surface, said upper display surface providing a first section for locating and supporting menu tickets and a second section adjacent to said first section for locating and supporting a plurality of price strips, a plurality of said menu tickets on said first section, each having a plurality of menu items listed thereon, a plurality of said price strips on said second section, each said price strip being in alignment with a said menu item on said menu tickets, each of said price strips indicating a unit price and multiples of said unit price in line with one of said menu items on said menu tickets, a price guide, and means for movably mounting said price guide on said frame assembly to traverse said plurality of price strips for visually aligning sequentially the price strips with the associated menu items.
 2. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 1 in which said mounting means comprise price guide rails on said frame assembly and guide means on said price guide slidably mounted on said guide rails.
 3. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 2 in which said price guide rails comprise a pair of spaced slots extending toward said top edge and said bottom edge, and said guide means comprises projections on said price guide which extend into said slots, whereby said price guide may be slidably moved toward and away from said top edge.
 4. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 1 in which said price strips are each removably supported on and secured to said second section whereby the price of a said menu item may readily and rapidly be changed independentlY of any change of the menu tickets.
 5. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 4 in which said second section defines openings below said price strips for permitting the upward pushing of price strips from below said frame assembly.
 6. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 4 in which said second section defines a recess comprising a plurality of troughs, each for locating a said price strip and for preventing its movement relative to said menu items on said menu ticket.
 7. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 1 in which said first section defines a recess for receiving a plurality of superposed menu tickets and for restricting movement of said menu tickets relative to said price strips thereby to fix the positions of the menu tickets and of the menu items listed thereon with respect to said price strips.
 8. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 7 in which said price strips are each removably supported on said second section whereby the price of a said menu item may readily and rapidly be changed independently of any change of the menu tickets.
 9. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 1 in which said price guide is elongate, and further comprising indicating means on said price guide for correlating a said price strip and a said menu item to facilitate pricing of said menu item.
 10. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 9 in which said price guide provides further indicating means for correlating multiples on the price strip with multiples ordered of the menu item on the menu ticket, thereby to facilitate pricing of multiples of said menu items.
 11. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 1 in which said first section is adjacent one side edge and said second section is adjacent the other side edge and said sections are laterally adjacent, and in which said price strips are elongate and extend toward said side edges.
 12. A menu and price calculator comprising a frame assembly having an upper display surface, said display surface comprising a first section for locating and supporting a plurality of menu tickets and a second laterally adjacent section for locating and supporting a plurality of price strips, a plurality of menu tickets, each having a plurality of identical menu items thereon, and a plurality of price strips, one being in alignment with each of said menu items on said menu tickets, each of said price strips being elongate and indicating a unit price and multiples of said unit price in lateral alignment with a said menu item on said menu tickets, on elongate price guide mounted to be aligned with said price strips lengthwise of said price strips, means for slidably mounting said price guide on said frame assembly to traverse said price strips and to move said price guide into alignment with each said price strip and for visually aligning each said price strip with its laterally aligned menu item, and indicating means on said price guide for correlating a price strip with a menu item and for correlating multiples on the price strip with multiples ordered of the menu item on the menu ticket thereby to facilitate pricing of multiples of said menu items, said mounting means comprising price guide rails on said frame assembly and guide means on said price guide slidably mounted on said rails.
 13. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 12 in which said price strips are each removably supported on and secured to said second section whereby the price of a said menu item may readily and rapidly be changed independently of any change on the menu tickets, and removal means defined by said frame assembly for facilitating removal of said price strips.
 14. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 12 in which said second section defines a recess for locating said price strips and for preventing their movement relative to said menu items on said menu ticket.
 15. A menu and price calculator in accordance with claim 12 in which said first section defines a recess for receiving and locating a plurality of superposed menu tickets and for preventing their movement relative to said price strips. 